According to my language app, the German word for potluck is potluck. I was going the wrong way on a bus this morning but still made it to the church on time. The songs we sang were mostly in German but you will recognize some titles; Open the Eyes of My Heart, Worthy is the Lamb, and Jesus Christ’s Lieben (Jesus’ Christ’s Love). The message was given by a German gentleman who started an agricultural ministry in Zambia 45 years ago. He has children living in both countries and is still working the farm where he teaches people how to survive by farming and shares the gospel. This year’s drought has been the worst ever. Because he preached in German, I followed along by looking at the text, John 17:20-23, the topic being, “The Radiance of the Church”. The website for this ministry is goodhopezambia.net so that is the shout-out. Now onto what I thought this morning. His visual aid was a guitar. These thoughts are guesses because I had no translation. Two things: without a trained musician playing a guitar, it is just a nice-looking piece of wood with attachments, or, all of the pieces have to work together to make those beautiful sounds. The passage is about unity and how the world (our friends and others) might believe that God did send His Son, Jesus. Unity shows God’s glory and that God loves us as He loves Jesus. Ponder that. This passage is a prayer, prayed by Jesus when He knew that, in a few hours, His time of sacrifice would come. If we knew we were about to die, how would we pray? Today I pray for this purpose to be realized in my remaining years. I know I have mentioned before that I was in Berlin over 46 years ago and was offered an opportunity to do missions but declined. I didn’t speak the language and was young. I don’t regret that decision but I wonder if this return is coming full circle with lessons, and those that include love, unity, and to follow Jesus without fear. I enjoyed attending Berlin Breitenbachplatz Church of Christ today. I don’t understand every trial in my life nor why I am becoming a bit of a vagabond but what is God showing each of us today? Back to the guitar – that when the preacher put his hand to the strings it sounded marvelous. There was a surprising sweetness and we live in a world full of surprises. It is a stunning world until sin brings creation down to the level of the Devil. The ‘radiance’ of the people of God is the light that shines in that darkness – God’s design. My hope, this week, is to find the house I stayed in 46 years ago and prayer walk that area. Considering the struggle getting to this church for the first time, I’ll need help finding that old area after so many changes in this big city but I happen to know a good ‘helper’. I’ll keep you posted.
